Nature, and not nurture, is the chief reason why some children put on weight while others stay slim, according to research that suggests parents are not entirely to blame for the epidemic of childhood obesity.

Researchers who looked at 5,000 sets of twins found that genetics are a stronger influence on weight than factors such as upbringing, exercise and diet.

They found that genes account for more than three quarters of the differences between children’s waistlines, with lifestyle factors such as diet and exercise playing a much smaller role.

Children who are overweight are likely to be overweight or obese in adulthood, raising the risk of certain cancers, heart disease, stroke and diabetes later in life.

However, despite the emergence of some possible genes that contribute to obesity, there is still debate as to the extent to which we are pre-programmed to be overweight by our genetic makeup.

Hundreds of genes governing everything from appetite to storage of fat will have an effect on bodyweight and in the long-term these could be identified to create a screening test to detect those at risk early in life.

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The findings, however, do not mean that environmental factors play no part in obesity. Despite the strong influence of susceptibility genes, their prevalence has not altered in recent decades and it is environmental change that has driven the rise in childhood obesity across the population.

According to the latest government figures, 30 per cent of children are either obese or overweight by this measure. Obesity among children aged 2 to 10 has risen by 7 per cent in the past decade.

Though the results point to genetics as a key factor in childhood obesity, they also indicate the importance of public health policies that encourage children to eat less and to take more exercise, experts said.

Source: The Telegraph, Times Online